The National Institute on Aging (NIA) announces a new resource for investigators in the field of aging research. The NIA Aged Non-human Primate Tissue Bank provides a repository of tissue from aged non-human primates (NHP) for use in research. Some tissue from middle-aged and young NHP will also be available soon. The tissues are donated by NIA-supported NHP colonies and other NHP colonies such as the National Primate Research Centers. The goal of the NIA Non-human Primate Tissue Bank is to archive tissue that might otherwise be discarded, and provide that tissue to investigators undertaking research on normal aging and age-related diseases. By making NHP tissue readily available, the NIA hopes to encourage investigators using other model organisms such as the rat and mouse to test their research findings in the primate model. In addition, the NIA NHP Tissue Bank will facilitate pilot studies and provide additional resources to investigators already using the primate model.

The primary focus will be on rhesus monkey tissue since this is the NHP model used most often for aging research. Other species will be included as they become available. The tissue available will be of varying ages and the health status of the animals will also vary. Some information on the health status of the donor animals will be available, but the NIA does not guarantee any aspect of the health status. Tissues are available as fresh-frozen specimens, slides containing sections of formalin-fixed tissue, and on a limited basis, OTC-embedded fresh-frozen specimens. Staining of slides may be requested.